WHITEHAIR OUT, A-ROB DOUBTFUL
The Bears’ reeling offense suffered another hit, possibly two, before the game against the Saints.
The team ruled out center Cody Whitehair — its best offensive lineman — on Friday after hemissed practice all week because of a calf injury. Sam Mustipher, who has played two games in his career, is expected to start in his place.
Wide receiver Allen Robinson, the Bears’ top playmaker the last two seasons, also did not practice this week because he is in the concussion protocol. The team initially listed him as questionable for the game, perhaps revealing a flicker of optimism within the organization, but revised the injury report because NFL policy requires that any player who is out all week be tagged as doubtful.
There’s no template for recovering from a concussion, but it seems highly unlikely Robinson would be cleared to play less than a week after suffering one against the Rams. Nonetheless, coach Matt Nagy said he intends to wait until the last possible moment to see if Robinson is available.
“If he’s able to pass through it and everything is good to go, of course we want him to be out there,” Nagy said. “It’s kind of out of our hands.”
The Bears are required by the NFL to provide an update if there’s any change in Robinson’s game status between now and kickoff.
Robinson is eighth in the NFL with 44 catches and ninth with 544 receiving yards. He has 26% of the targets, and no other Bear has 30-plus catches or 240-plus yards.
The Bears also listed safety Eddie Jackson (knee), outside linebacker Khalil Mack (ankle), running back Cordarrelle Patterson (quadriceps) and special-teamer Sherrick McManis (hamstring) as questionable, but all are expected to play.
Saints star also out
Injuries go both ways, and the Bears will catch a break by avoiding two-time All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas. The Saints ruled him out with ankle and hamstring injuries.
Thomas led the NFL with 149 catches for 1,725 yards last season. He had nine catches for 131 yards in the Saints’ victory over the Bears last October.
Weather concerns
The forecast for the Saints-Bears game predicts a high of 37 degrees with 20 mph winds and gusts that could reach 40 mph. That would certainly help the Bears slow down Saints quarterback Drew Brees and an offense that averages 30 points per game, but it would also make things difficult for a Bears offense that already has enough problems.
“You expect different things in a particular weather game, one of those things being how far the ball can travel in the air,” defensive lineman Akiem Hicks said. “Maybe there’s more run game. It’s really up to that team, how they feel they can approach it, what type of quarterback they feel that they have, what kind of arm he has.”